Thursday, October 25, 2007

Despite constantly being lumped in with T. rexand stegosaurus in the world of plastic dinosaurs - Dimetrodon was actually the top pre-dinosaur predator. Actually, it was the only predator around before the dinosaurs showed up - the first king of the food chain, and the first evidence we have of the formation of a land ecosystem.

This species ruled in the Permian Period – the time just before dinosaurs showed up that ended with history’s most massive known extinction. Discoveries from this period help answer the question “Where did dinosaurs come from?”

Dimetrodon were 7 to 14 feet long, weighed up to 600 pounds and had 4-foot tall fins on their backs. According to Dr. Bakker, you would not want to meet one in a dark alley – “If they were alive, they would look upon you as a food item.”

(c) Robert T. Bakker

Fearsome they may be, but few extinct species are as important than Dimetrodon – its existence represents a key step in earth history. Dimetrodon dominated its world, the largest meat-eater that had ever evolved up to the time. It was strong enough to kill any other land animal.

When Dimetrodon ruled, lizards hadn’t evolved yet, nor turtles, nor snakes. There weren’t any crocodiles, gators, frogs, salamanders, or even flowers. The only plants around were ferns, horsetails or other primitive conifer with dull green leaves.

Dimetrodonfemur found by the team in Seymour, TX. Additional objects present for scale.

In fact, it's so old that Dimetrodon has a special spot in human evolution. The Texas Finback is located very close to the base of the mammalian family tree that includes all ‘possums, dogs, and cats, monkeys, apes and humans. So…you can put a portrait of the Texas Finback up on the mantel, next to Grandma and Grandpa.

This plaster jacket covers and protects an associated Dimetrodon skeleton found by the team in Seymour, TX. It has since been removed from the site and taken to the Museum for study.

Hey, it's cool somebody pointed this out despite all the wrong information in kids' coloring books and toys... the only reason Dimetrodon gets called a dinosaur is because the pop-culture 'dinosaur industry' thinks the dorsal sail is a good marketing tool (which is may also have been for a Dimetrodon of the opposite sex!)

But Dimetrodon was not the "only" predator around before dinosaurs came... let's not forget there was also Sphenacodon, and Varanops and many others... not to mention the late Permian therapsids... families of hunters like the Anteosaurs and Gorgonopsians... And also the Crurotarsans (land-living crocodile relatives)... these were all predators that were there before dinosaurs.

IT IS NOT A DINOSAUR because for one, they weren't even around when the dinosaurs roamed the earth, they came before, dinosaurs are archosaurian land reptiles that walked with limbs ERECT, BENEATH their bodies, not to the side like the Dimetrodon.

Thank You a ton for writing such a wonderful piece of information. Keep sharing such ideas in the future as well. This was actually what I was looking for, and I am glad to came here! Thanks for sharing the such information with us.

About

If you're interested in more general science updates, please visit the Museum's new blog.
For about a year, the Museum has been sending a team of paleontologists and volunteers to Seymour, TX, a little town about 2 hours outside of the Dallas/Fort Worth area that happens to be the world's best site to find Dimetrodon - the biggest, baddest, pre-dinosaur predator.
Led by famous paleontologist Dr. Bob Bakker, the team uses a "CSI" approach - picking out every bit of fossilized evidence they can find, from teeth to tiny bone fragments - in the quest to discover exactly what creatures died here 290 million years ago - and more importantly, how they lived.
While they're in the field, you can follow their exploits here. They'll be posting daily with pictures and information about what they have found and what it all means. You can explore more about the species they are finding and the answers they are looking for at the links below.
They would love to answer your questions - so come back, and post often.

***Note

The team has now returned from Seymour, and though we will be posting relevant updates as they occur, daily discoveries are on hold until they return to the field. Please feel free to explore the links below to learn all about what they've found - and leave us a question or comment to let the team know what you think.